


What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

by StarMaamMke



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Jealousy, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, New Years kiss, two idiots realize that they are crazy for one another
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-11 23:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12946227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarMaamMke/pseuds/StarMaamMke
Summary: Joyce wrestles with the little green monster at a New Year's Eve Party. Jim flirts.





	What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

**Author's Note:**

> Songs featured are “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” written by Frank Loesser and performed by Ella Fitzgerald and “I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You” by Tom Waits.

> _Maybe it’s much too early in the game_
> 
> _Aah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same_
> 
> _What are you doing New Year’s_
> 
> _New Year’s Eve?_
> 
> _Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight_
> 
> _When it’s exactly twelve o'clock that night_
> 
> _Welcoming in the New Year_
> 
> _New Year’s Eve…_

“A little too on the nose,” Joyce Byers muttered to herself before taking a sip from her third cup of potently alcoholic punch. She wrinkled her nose at the taste and continued to stare across the dance floor at Jim Hopper, who was currently slow-dancing with his fourth female partner of the evening. Joyce hoped the punch would start to dull the jealous twisting in her guts, but so far it only appeared to magnify the surprising and intense storm of feelings that overcame her as Jim charmed and flirted with every single woman under 50 that crossed his path.

She supposed she didn’t have a right to feel this way. It had been less than two months since Bob… well, she didn’t own Jim or anything. He was just a friend–one who had seen her through the two most turbulent years of her life; one who never called her crazy and had soothed her anxious mind with a warm and steadying touch; a very, handsome friend that she just happened to share a romantic history with. She really had no right–no right at all.

And yet, here she was; boiling with a jealous rage that she hadn’t felt since Junior year when she found him making out with Chrissy Carpenter a day before Winter Prom.

“Oh, boy, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that look.” Joyce gave a start and turned to see Dr. Sam Owens, dapper in his evening wear and different without his lab coat, smiling down at her with a martini glass in his right hand.

“Oh, hi Dr. Owens.”

“Sam, please.” he stood next to her and followed her gaze across the room. “He’s very sociable this evening, isn’t he?” Joyce grunted in response, and took another long pull from her cup.

“Let me get you a refill, my dear…” Sam gave her a quick look up and down, and then sighed. “Maybe a water?”

“Punch is fine.”

“I made the punch, I think water would–”

“Punch is fine.”

Sam nodded. “Ah, okay. Are you enjoying my little soirée? I haven’t seen you on the dance floor yet, and I paid a lot of money for people to dance on it.”

Joyce gave a little shrug and sniffed. “I’m not much in a dancing mood.”

“Maybe you haven’t found the right partner.”

“Those don’t exist.” she hated sounding so petty, but the jealousy and the drink were working in tandem to add bite to every word that came out of her mouth, it seemed.

Sam let out a patient sigh and patted her shoulder. “Let me get you that punch, Ma.” with that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Joyce to sulk.

The song ended, and Jim walked away from his partner, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation beyond their intimate little turn on the dance floor. He shot a look across the floor and noticed Joyce, who was quite unable to fix her expression in time. She attempted to turn and walk away, but he was fast on her heels, stepping in front of her view with a sheepish grin.

“Hey! How long have you been here?” he looked ridiculously handsome in his white button-up shirt, charcoal vest and matching trousers, especially with sleeves rolled up his massive forearms. He must have discarded his suit coat several dances ago, she observed as she drank him in. She so badly wanted to smooth his messy hair and kiss his stupid, bearded face.

“Long enough. I haven’t really been in a social mood, but I thought this would help,” she replied with a shrug.

“Well, you look amazing.” she grew flustered under the heat of his appreciative stare as he took in her dark-green sweater dress with it’s skater style skirt and her black nylons. Her heels matched the color of the dress, and gave her about two inches of extra height, but she still felt impossibly tiny standing near him.

“Thank you.”

Sam pushed his way through the crowd with a fresh cup of punch. “Oh, hello Chief! I was just fetching this lovely lady some refreshments. She’s been here quite a while, you know.”

Jim nodded, not tearing his eyes away from Joyce. “So I’ve heard. She could’ve said something.”

Sam laughed and handed Joyce her cup. “A little shy maybe, and you were quite busy being a shameless Lothario. Don’t you love how her dress matches her eyes?” Joyce shot Sam a venomous look at the subtle jab.

“Here eyes are brown, Doc.”

“Oh. I must’ve been mistaken, then. Now that you know she’s here, I think it would do you both some good if you asked her to dance. It’s almost midnight, you know.” with that, Sam turned and headed towards his other guests.

Jim cleared his throat. “You really could have said something.”

“You seemed to be having plenty of fun without me,” she replied, her eyes darting towards the floor.

“Not as much fun as I could’ve been having–do you want to dance?”

Joyce looked up at him with a startled expression. “What?”

“It’s almost midnight, and I don’t really want to be near anyone but you when the clock strikes,” his voice was soft and sincere, without a trace of his usual teasing tone.

“I feel the same way,” she confessed without a moment’s hesitation. His face lit up at her statement, and she thought she heard him sigh – was it in relief? He offered her his arm and she took it as they made their way to a free spot on the dance floor as another slow song struck up.

> [ _Well, I hope that I don’t fall in love with you_ ](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fgenius.com%2FTom-waits-i-hope-that-i-dont-fall-in-love-with-you-lyrics%23note-5015564&t=Y2Q2ODIzODI5NWU4MGNlZGEyOTM3NTJkZjkyNTM5MDQ5OGMyODI5Niw4WEJldjV3bw%3D%3D&b=t%3AhWBpRdqlb85KyyKSbyrnxQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fstarmaammke.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F168305261087%2Fjopper-and-17-please&m=1)
> 
> [ _Cause falling in love just makes me blue_ ](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fgenius.com%2FTom-waits-i-hope-that-i-dont-fall-in-love-with-you-lyrics%23note-5015564&t=Y2Q2ODIzODI5NWU4MGNlZGEyOTM3NTJkZjkyNTM5MDQ5OGMyODI5Niw4WEJldjV3bw%3D%3D&b=t%3AhWBpRdqlb85KyyKSbyrnxQ&p=http%3A%2F%2Fstarmaammke.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F168305261087%2Fjopper-and-17-please&m=1)
> 
> _Well, the music plays and you display your heart for me to see_
> 
> _I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me_
> 
> _And I hope that I don’t fall in love with you…_

“Oh, I love this song,” Joyce murmured as Jim pulled her close. She rested her head against his chest and gave a little shiver as he slid one hand down her arm and took her hand in his. She could feel his lips brush the top of her head, could feel his smile as they swayed together. Jim smelled warm and woodsy, with just the slightest tang of sweat–it wasn’t an unpleasant scent because it was him.

“Yeah, it’s-uh-it reminds me of… things.”

Joyce felt a little spark of hope in her chest at his admission, a little bit of added warmth to her already blazing cheeks; however, her traitorous mind took her back to earlier.

“Hop?”

“Yeah?” he mumbled.

Joyce tried to ignore the way his strong fingers were drawing lazy circles on the small of her back. She took a deep breath and spoke, “What would you have done at midnight if you hadn’t seen me? You seemed really popular tonight.”

The fingers against her back stilled their movements, and the gentle sway that had been lulling Joyce into a hazy contentment ended abruptly. She looked up at Jim, her chin digging into his chest; a frown was creasing his heavy brow. “What are you asking?”

“Who would’ve been my placeholder?”

She felt cold and bereft when he dropped her hand and stepped away from her. “Your placeholder?”

“The pretty blonde? Loretta Hannigan?” God, she really knew how to kill a moment.

“I was dancing with them, Joyce. A dance is not a-it’s not-Jesus Christ, not a single fucking one of them is who!” his face was going flush with anger, and several couples paused in their dance to observe the situation unfolding.

“Oh,” was all Joyce could manage. Light, airy, and tinged with surprise. Jim’s expression immediately softened; he stepped forward and took both of her hands in his.

“That’s not me. I mean, it used to be, but I’m-I’m not in the mood to settle.”

Joyce wetted her bottom lip with her tongue as she frowned up at him, her eyes wide and confused. “Settle?”

“For someone who isn’t you.”

“Oh!” this time, the exclamation preceded a little gasp.

_10…_

_9…_

_8…_

_7…_

_6…_

“Yeah.”

“So do you want…”

_5…_

_4…_

_3…_

“Do I want… ?” Jim’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward so he could hear her better as the rest of the guests shouted out the countdown.

_2…_

_1…_

_HAPPY NEW YEAR!_

The room erupted in cheers and various noisemakers, as balloons, glitter and confetti rained down from the ceiling.

“It’s New Years. Do you want to kiss me?” Joyce finally blurted out, her voice in a near-shout. She gave a little shriek when his arms encircled her waist, and he hoisted her to his level so his lips could crash against hers. It wasn’t perfect; their noses nearly collided, and their teeth scraped together a bit on first impact–but they soon found a rhythm. Joyce anchored herself by sliding one arm around his shoulder as her other hand came up to cup his bearded cheek, stroking gently as their kisses grew desperate and hungry. He rested his forehead against hers when they parted for breath, both grinning near idiotically at each other. Joyce nuzzled his nose with hers before placing a little kiss on the tip of it; he responded by pressing several quick kisses against her lips, and one on her forehead before setting her down.

“We good, Joyce?” Jim asked, his voice hoarse and quavering slightly.

She nodded. “More than good.”


End file.
